Ellen DeGeneres began her best talk show acceptance speech at the People’s Choice Awards by thanking her staff and crew after toxic workplace allegations had rocked her talk show.
The 62-year-old television personality took home the Daytime Talk Show award on Sunday night as she quickly shifted focus to those working on her Ellen DeGeneres Show just months after the syndicated program was at the center of controversy.
She said: ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you, from deep down in my heart, I thank you. I am not only accepting this award for myself, I’m accepting it on the behalf of my amazing crew, my amazing staff, who make this show possible.
‘They show up every single day, they give a 100 percent of themselves, a 100 percent of the time.’
Pleased: Ellen DeGeneres began her best talk show acceptance speech a the People’s Choice Awards by thanking her staff and crew after toxic workplace allegations had rocked her talk show
DeGeneres made sure that every single one of her staffers felt the love as she doubled down on her acknowledgement.
She continued: ‘That’s 250 people times 170 shows a year times 18 years, and if you carry the two and divide it by 11, my point is I love them all.
‘And I thank them for what they do every single day to help that show be the best that we try to make it every single day.’
The comedienne then went on to thank her fans that have stuck by her despite the tumultuous time.
‘They show up every single day’: The 62-year-old television personality took home the Daytime Talk Show award on Sunday night as she quickly shifted focus to those working on her Ellen DeGeneres Show just months after the syndicated program was at the center of controversy
Ellen said: ‘I know this award comes from the people, I say thank you to the people. For all of my fans for supporting me, for sticking by me, I cannot tell you how grateful I am and what this means to me. It’s more than I can possibly tell you, especially right now.
‘I’m going to wipe it down with Lysol and put it on my shelf.’
Over the summer, the long-running talk show was at the center of allegations including that DeGeneres ran a workplace which fostered racism, sexual misconduct and bullying.
She apologized to staff privately in a conference call.
‘For all of my fans for supporting me, for sticking by me, I cannot tell you how grateful I am and what this means to me’: The comedienne then went on to thank her fans that have stuck by her despite the tumultuous time
A wave of stars came to her defense. Among them was Kevin Hart who faced his own controversy last year when homophobic tweets he’d posted in the past resurfaced and cost him his Oscars hosting job.
The controversy was first sparked by a Buzzfeed expose into the show in June which revealed claims made by one current and 10 former employees of Ellen’s talk show saying they experienced racism, fear and intimidation while working on the long-running series and accusing producers Andy Lassner, Mary Connelly and Ed Glavin of bullying.
The show then faced additional accusations about sexual misconduct in a second BuzzFeed News article on July 30, in which dozens of men and women accused Kevin Leman, Glavin and Norman of sexual harassment, misconduct or assault.
Leman and Norman denied the claims. They and Glavin were promptly suspended while Warner Bros. launched an investigation.
Tumultuous time: Over the summer, the long-running talk show was at the center of allegations including that DeGeneres ran a workplace which fostered racism, sexual misconduct and bullying. She apologized to staff privately in a conference call
They both were fired along with Leman. His attorney said at the time that he was being made a scapegoat.
‘The fact that a deeply flawed BuzzFeed article has led to the termination of an innocent man — a popular figure and a creative force behind the Ellen show and a string of other projects produced with Ellen – is shocking.
‘Kevin is devastated by being scapegoated and is not yet ready to comment,’ the attorney said.
Ellen, specifically, was accused of taking joy in making staffers cry and behaving like such a diva that employees were told not to speak
Comeback: She returned to air with the season 18 premiere in September with a six minute monologue in which she addressed the controversy
Social distancing: There was no audience due to COVID-19. Instead, an audience on screens laughed along and applauded her
She returned to air with the season 18 premiere in September with a six minute monologue in which she addressed the controversy.
‘You may have heard, this summer there were allegations of a toxic work environment at our show and then there was an investigation,’ she told the audience of screens on which her virtual audience appeared.
‘I learned that things happened here that never should have happened. I take that very seriously and I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected.
‘I know that I am in a position of privilege and power and I realize that with that comes responsibility and I take responsibility for what happens at my show,’ she said.